Former African Leader Banana Is Dead
Gay.com
/ PlanetOut.com Network, November 11, 2003
http://www.planetout.com/pno/news/article.html?2003/11/11/4
SUMMARY: Canaan Sodindo Banana, a former president of
Zimbabwe who was jailed on gay sex abuse charges, died on Monday at the age of
67.
Canaan Sodindo Banana, a former president of Zimbabwe who
was jailed on gay sex abuse charges, died on Monday at the age of 67.
According to state radio in Zimbabwe, he died after a long illness.
Banana was the first black president of the country. He
served as the country’s ceremonial president from March 1, 1980, to Dec. 31,
1987, the Associated Press reported.
In 1998, he was convicted on 11 counts of attempting to
coerce sexual relations with other men, several of whom worked for Banana in
the State House. He was sentenced to 10 years in an “open prison” that
allowed him to take shopping excursions. After six months, he was released for
good behavior.
Banana and his wife denied the charges, saying they were
politically motivated.
The current president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has
denounced gays and lesbians as “lower than pigs or dogs.”
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